Azaleas… Taking Care of a Natural Beauty

If you have driven around the Charlotte area, you've probably noticed the profuse pink and red flowering shrubs that seem to be everywhere. Azaleas are beautiful. Their wonderful color announces that spring is in full bloom and summer is just around the corner. Some people are confused as to when and how these shrubs should be pruned. When looking online, you can find conflicting information regarding pruning of these area landscape staples.

It is generally best to prune azaleas directly after they bloom but before the new buds have formed. Since azaleas are blooming now in our region of the country, it's best to wait until the blooms start to fade or fall off. Then it is safe to prune your azaleas back. Since next year's flowers usually start appearing around mid-summer (beginning of July in our area), waiting to prune these shrubs in July is not a good idea. You'll cut away the buds that your shrub needs to flower in the coming season and you may not get flowers next spring.

Why should you prune? Established, healthy azaleas really need very little pruning or maintenance.

• You may need to prune your shrub if it is damaged or diseased. Cutting off dead or injured wood can prevent diseases.
  
• To keep an overly enthusiastic plant under control (scaling it back). Perhaps it has grown too large for its space or is crowding your house. As always, it's best to think long term when planting. If you consider the size of the shrub at maturity and plant in the appropriate location, leaving room for it to grow, then you may not need to prune the azalea.
  
• If your azalea has gotten leggy with bare stalks on bottom and leafy tops, it may be necessary to prune or trim it to encourage branching.
  
• You may want to create a shaped hedge from your azaleas. (Although the natural shape of the azalea plant is very attractive, sometimes it is preferable to have a hedge.)
  

To prune your azaleas, you'll need a pair of hand clippers or loppers. As with all tools, you'll want to make sure they are sharp. Dull blades tear the plant instead of making clean cuts. Imagine cutting through paper with dull scissors. That is never the best situation for a precise cut. As a landscaper we may deal with a multitude of azaleas on a property. Hedge trimmers help us to make the most efficient use of our time on site to trim en masse.

When trimming, there are a couple of things to keep in mind. If your goal is to scale back an exuberant bush, cut overly long branches back into the shrub at the main stalk. (Don't leave a stub). This will keep the symmetry of the bush but thin it out. It won't take long for it to flush out again. If your goal in pruning is to encourage growth on the lower limbs, trim the new growth during the growing season to encourage branching (mid-summer). These cuts do not have to reach to the main stalk. The azaleas will grow new branches right below wherever you cut it. If your shrub is so overgrown that you need to do a drastic cut, azaleas will usually tolerate this well, also. If you need to cut it back to a foot in height, be sure to use a slow release type of fertilizer after pruning give it the nutrients it needs to regenerate. If you peruse the fertilizer aisle at most nursery or home improvement store you'll see that there are special fertilizers especially for flowering shrubs like azaleas or rhododendrons. This will encourage growth. You also need to be patient with the shrub that's left behind. In most cases, the following spring you'll have a smaller shrub with lots of new growth. As a general rule, though it is best never to cut down more than 1/3 of the plant in a season.

No matter how you do it, azaleas are hardy and will thrive with a little attention. We fertilize our azaleas soon after we prune to give them an extra dose of nutrients to sustain them through the summer months.

With 100's of varieties of azaleas available, the possibilities are endless. They bring spring beauty to our lawns and lives. Place the correct variety in the right spot and they are worry free, beautiful additions to your landscape. Once established, they provide great value with very little care. Thanks,

The AA Tex Lawn Team

 

Day in the life of a landscaper

It's a beautiful spring morning, sometime between 5:30 and 5:45 am. The managers and the area leaders are arriving just ahead of the crews who will report at 6:00am. Gates, doors and key access are all unlocked. Employees are arriving and heading to the classroom/scheduling area in the warehouse for the morning meeting. In the meeting, discussion centers around safety, customer feedback is shared, exceptional performance is recognized, the Tex Lawn way is reinforced, and questions are answered. Fifteen minutes later …….

GENTLEMAN START YOUR ENGINES

Yes it is kind of like that. Once the meeting ends at 6:15, there is a mass exodus from the building to the fleet of trucks. Almost simultaneously the engines roar to life. Lawn maintenance trucks, landscape crew trucks, turf care trucks, irrigation trucks, crew leader trucks, all ready to head to the gate. It really resembles pit road at the beginning of a NASCAR race, and the trucks are numbered. There is only one sponsor decal though… AA Tex Lawn.

I LOVE A PARADE

Okay at 6:20 in the morning, there are no crowd-lined streets, no smell of popcorn, no clowns, and no bands. But the AA Tex Lawn parade has begun. Along Matthews Indian Trail Road, there is a parade of white trucks with orange and yellow logos, one behind the other. The parade begins to thin out as trucks make their way as far north as Mooresville and as far south as Lake Wylie.

YOU HAVE ARRIVED

As the trucks reach their first stops, a choreographed dance, of sort, begins. First, truck location is crucial. The truck needs to be in an area that is as non-intrusive as possible, a safe area, and a convenient area from which crew members can work. There is already a plan of attack worked out for each property including: what type mowers goes to what area of the property, where does the weed eater, the stick edger, etc start, which direction do we work, who finishes first and starts weed spray, who begins blowing, who's picking up debris, etc. It is all thought through and planned before we step on a property. The plan helps us to move through efficiently and end together. This also is crucial to quality. If we are skipping around the property and running over each other, something will get missed, or done wrong. And of course, with the economy the way it is, productivity is more important than ever. The same issues hold true for crews, such as landscape installers. While they do not necessarily do the same task every day, they have a plan before hitting the property, usually developed with the person who sold the job.

SECOND VERSE SAME AS THE FIRST

While we have a myriad of different properties of different types and sizes, the same preparedness holds true for all. Some of our properties may require one or more crews to be on site all day, while some crews may do 5 or more in a day. The size of the property doesn't matter. Each property has a sort of dance that applies to that property. We may have 6 employees on property, or 2. The dance still applies.

LET'S EAT IN TODAY

Lunch time is 11:30, and we eat in. Our crews bring their lunch and eat at the property they are on at that time. There are a few reasons for this. Number one is safety. Have you ever seen a convenience store parking lot at lunch time? What better place to have an accident. Number 2 is productivity. Leaving the property would require loading the equipment, getting off the property, driving in lunch time traffic, and wading through the convenience store congestion, and doing all that in reverse. It is just better to stay put, relax and enjoy your lunch.

THINKING AHEAD

The route is done; it's time to go back to the shop. Are we done? Not yet. As the trucks arrive at the shop, the crew leader has one more duty for the day, get ready for tomorrow. Check the inventory on the truck. Do you need edger blades, weed eater string, trash bags? Do you need to go to the premixed roundup tank to fill your sprayers? Looking at the schedule for tomorrow do you have the right equipment on your truck? Is there a problem with any of the equipment on your truck that needs to go to the mechanic which means you need a loaner piece? Once all that is resolved, the next stop is the gas pump. The truck is fueled if needed; all the equipment is fueled, including gas cans filled with mix gas for the blowers' weed eaters etc. The truck is now ready to go for the following day.

AM I DONE?

Not quite. It's now time to go over what we did today with an area manager or the operations manager. We talk about the time sheet. We go over any notes made at the property. We verify that everything extra was completed. once that is done we hand off paperwork for tomorrow including the schedule, the property notes (every crew has a set of property notes for each property they maintain that contains special instructions, locations of items that need special attention, and customer request), and any task above the normal that need to be completed(customer requests, etc). After clarifications are made to the operations manager, the day is complete. See you tomorrow to start all over again.

IS THERE ANYTHING ELSE?

While the above is a simplified version of a day, there are a lot of other things going on at our offices. The production manager is working in his shop doing preventative maintenance, repairs etc. He is making sure all our equipment is in good working order and most importantly… safe. The operations manager and the area managers are on the job sites working with the crews, inspecting quality, planning for tomorrow, and working with client services to insure the customer needs are being met. The client services person is working with customers on issues, making suggestions for improvement, and communicating with the different parties to make sure the customer needs and request are being handled. Our point person in the office is handling the communications, checking the time sheets, making sure proper information is entered in our tracking systems, assisting with proposals, and making sure we are coordinated. Our office manager is overseeing all the above and working on the accounting aspect, contracts, reporting, and assisting the owners. Our project manager is making sure the information is getting out to the customer, (like this blog), handling website and IT issues, and creating print publications. Our owners are overseeing it all, sharing their vision, setting direction, and most importantly… leading. Don't forget our lawn turf techs who is providing turf care, the irrigation techs, and landscaping tech, all handling their respective duties.

Like any other profession, there is a lot going on in the day of a landscaper. There is a lot of support for our operations, which is all geared toward our most important job, serving our clients to make your experience with AA Tex Lawn a great one!

Unlock Your Lawn’s Potential with Our Lawn Treatment Service

It is often said that the best defense against weeds is dense, healthy turf. While dense, healthy turf is our goal, many of us are confused as to how to get there. Mowing the grass and overseeding once a year is often not enough to get the job done. Getting the lush green lawns so many of us want requires following a process to eradicate the weeds, optimize the soil, and fertilize your existing turf.

With this in mind, AA Tex Lawn is now offering lawn treatment service for your lawn to complement your maintenance routine. We use a 7-step process to help maximize your lawn's potential:

Visit 1: Pre-emergent, fertilizer, and weed control to combat crabgrasses, broadleaf weeds, and green up the grass.

Visit 2: Second dose of pre-emergent, fertilizer, and weed control to get any stubborn weeds that survived our first application.

Visit 3: Iron, light fertilizer and micro-nutrients to bring out the color of the grass and feed the roots and soil, along with spot spraying of broadleaf weeds in the turf

Visit 4: Another dose of iron, light fertilizer, and micro-nutrients to improve turf health and stimulate growth, along with spot spraying of broadleaf weeds in the turf as necessary

Visit 5: Application of Sol-u-cal which is a water soluble calcium soil conditioner. Most of the lawns in our area lack the lime and calcium they need to optimize grass growth. Sol-u-cal corrects the soil PH better and faster than the lime we have used in the past.

Visit 6: Fertilizer to promote growth/health after summer takes its toll on fescue lawns

Visit 7: Winterizer to get your turf ready for the winter season. We may possibly do a weed control application depending on overseed timing.

Additional Services:

* Grub/Insect Control * Irrigation Repair * Disease Control

* Aeration/Seeding * Low Voltage Lighting * Drainage

  Every lawn is different. We will specialize our program to fit your landscape and turf type. Please e-mail us at info@aatexlawn.com or call our office at (704) 821-0708 for an estimate or for more information. We want to help you create the lawn of your dreams. Thanks,

The AA Tex Lawn Team

Who can answer my landscaping questions? – Reputable Homeowner Resources

With the spring season almost upon us, our minds turn to nature and our landscapes. As we're outside more, we want our landscaping to be as welcoming as the insides of our homes. But where do you turn when you have questions about your plants, trees, shrubs, or turf? There are many great resources available that provide tips, seminars, and classes for our area. Below, I've listed a few:

1. Ever visited your town website? Often your city will have committees dedicated to helping you beautify your surroundings. For example, the town of Matthews is holding a workshop called, "A Homeowner's Guide to Successful Tree Care" on March 29^th and April 2^nd, 2011. It is sponsored by the Town of Matthews Appearance & Tree Advisory Committee. For more information, check out the town website at: http://www.matthewsnc.com/ . Similarly, the town of Mooresville is currently running a Street Side Garden Contest. You can get information about how to enter this contest on their website: http://www.ci.mooresville.nc.us/portal/node/626 . Access your town's website to see what is available to you.
   
   
2. The NC Cooperative Extension offers a Master Gardener Hotline. Volunteers are available to answer your gardening questions weekdays from 9am until 12 noon beginning March 1^st at 704-336-4011. (CharMeck GetGoing Guide – Spring 2011 – www.parkandrec.com)
   
   
3. The NC State University Cooperative Extension provides a wealth of information about a variety of topics, as well as offering workshops and seminars all over the state of North Carolina. For more information on events, access their website at: http://www.ces.ncsu.edu/ and then click Events. You can also access the NC Cooperative Extension newsletter or sign up for tweets.
   
   
4. Local College Resources: Many colleges and universities offer resources on their websites concerning landscaping issues. Colleges who offer horticulture degrees can be particularly helpful. In our area, UNCC has a botanical garden. UNCC Botanical Gardens website offers information on native plants and plant care. They also offer workshops. You can access their site at: http://gardens.uncc.edu/ for more information.
   
   
5. Landscaping magazine websites often have e-mail lists to send tips, information, and ideas for your lawn and garden. One that comes to mind is the Better Homes and Gardens site. It has everything from a plant encyclopedia, to information on container gardening, to customizable garden plans. The Better Homes and Gardens website can be accessed at http://www.bhg.com/ . Then click on Gardening. If you have a favorite magazine, check their website. You may be surprised at the information available to you.
   
   

A Google search can bring up videos, articles, and information on just about any gardening topic you have an interest in. Just keep in mind that you want to make sure that the information is pertinent to your region and that it is from a reputable source. At AA Tex Lawn, we have tips on our website under the News and Resources tab or you can view our past blog articles for information on specific topics. AA Tex Lawn is slowly building our own database to make your landscaping efforts more successful. Visit our site at www.aatexlawn.com. Thanks!

The AA Tex Lawn Team

Community Outreach… AA Tex Lawn and Habitat for Humanity

As stated on their website, "Habitat for Humanity International is founded on the conviction that every man, woman and child should have a decent, safe and affordable place to live." AA Tex Lawn is proud to have an opportunity to give back to our community by working on a Habitat house in our area. In conjunction with Matthews United Methodist Church, a house was constructed in the Rainbow Ridge area of Matthews, NC.  On March 9^th, 2011, a crew from AA Tex Lawn provided the finishing touch by donating and installing the landscaping for the house to complete the project.

Our portion of the project included multiple factors. This Habitat house is certified as a LEEDs (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) house by the U.S. Green Building Council. LEEDs is a rigorous certification process that includes a precise framework to ensure that the structure is built to be "green", keeping the environment and natural resources in mind. To facilitate that goal, plant selection was crucial. We chose drought tolerant plants in an effort to cut down on water usage necessary to maintain plant life. It was also important to provide the new homeowner with a landscape that was easy to maintain. And lastly, we wanted it to look good… to be something to make the homeowner proud.
AA Tex Lawn donated the materials and manpower to accomplish the task. Our tasks included:

• Grading the soil
• Seeding the soil with fescue seed and putting down straw to keep it in place
• Installing plants and shrubs including: junipers, firepower nandinas, yaupon hollies, and crape myrtles

All and all, it was a day well spent. We are privileged to be involved in a program that will give a worthy family a fresh start.

Thanks,
The AA Tex Lawn Team

The “Knock Out”, Everyone’s Rose

     There was a time when only a select few grew roses successfully. Those were the people who spent tedious hours caring for and pruning their roses. My mom grew roses and it seemed she was always doing something during the season to help them along. Everything had to be just right for them to flourish. They were absolutely gorgeous. The problem is that not everyone has the time or expertise to grow and maintain them.

     Now things have changed. The Knock Out rose has arrived to save the day. You have probably seen more and more landscapes with this variety of rose, including places you would have never planted a rose before. They are at neighborhood entrances, club houses, businesses, and mall parking lots. They have really brought a new dimension to the commercial and homeowner landscape. Just the mere fact that they are showing up in the commercial landscape as frequently as they are really tells the story of how easy they are to maintain.

     What do they need? It's simple. We prune the roses 3 times per year on average. We prune them with hedge trimmers (as opposed to the hand pruning that is required by other forms of roses). We will do a shape up going into spring. We will then do another trim in the July time frame after their first flush. This will set them up to flush again. It is also an opportunity to keep them under control where they might need to be kept low for visibility. Once we are getting toward the end of the season we will trim them one more time and shape them up usually in September.

     We do make sure to fertilize them each time we trim. That has proven to be very successful for the rose production and health of the plant. Knock Outs are hardy plants with a high resistance to pests and disease. Under the right conditions, they avoid the powdery mildew and black spot that can be so prevalent on other varieties of roses.

     Mom would be proud to see roses in my landscape. I guess being a good son I would have to tell her how easy the Knock Out rose is to grow. So there you have it in short form, everyone's rose.

Thanks,
The AA Tex Lawn Team

Enjoying Nature in the Winter – Botanical Gardens

Botanical Gardens offer a chance to reconnect with nature. Like bears, it sometimes feels that we spend the majority of winter inside hibernating. There is no reason for this. Even in winter, there is much to appreciate in a southern garden – berries, bark, structure, and even flowers. Botanical gardens allow you to enjoy the beauty of nature even in these colder months. In an effort to help us appreciate what Mother Nature provides us, I thought I'd list several of the gardens in the Charlotte region:

• The Daniel Stowe Botanical Gardens on the banks of Lake Wylie is featuring its Orchid Spectacular through March 14, 2011. While the orchids are on display at the conservatory, there is also an exhibit of Jamie Kirkells paintings, Jewels on Silk through March 5th. For more information or to purchase tickets, visit http://www.dsbg.org/
  
  
• University of North Carolina at Charlotte Botanical Gardens (McMillan Greenhouse) features nature trails, a large rhododendron collection, a winter garden, and a greenhouse with an orchid collection. On February 27, 2011, they will hold a Winter Walk and Plant Sale. And it's free. For more information, see below or access their website at http://gardens.uncc.edu/.
  
  
• The Wing Haven Garden and Bird Sanctuary off Ridgewood Avenue in Charlotte was initially the private gardens of Elizabeth Lawrence and Eddie and Elizabeth Clarkson. Together they made Ridgewood Avenue one of the most famous addresses in Southern garden history. Wing Haven features three acres of formal gardens and controlled natural areas with focus on attracting birds; roses, wildflowers, herbs, ferns, and a woodland garden. For more information, see the website at http://www.winghavengardens.com/.
  
  
• The Hezekiah Alexander Homesite
  features a period 18th century-style herb and weavers gardens on the grounds of the Revolutionary War era home that is Mecklenburg County's oldest surviving structure. http://www.charlottemuseum.org/
  
  
• The Historic Mill Hill Plantain Gardens are another group of period-style gardens in Concord featuring a formal garden, a white garden, a secret garden, an Anglo-Chinese garden, and a historic plantation home. For more information, call 704-786-3990. It is located at 7117 Stirewalt Road (Hwy. 136) in Concord.
  

Even if plants are not your passion, it is still nice to take the time to decompress and relax among the tranquility (and beauty) that nature can afford us. Keep in mind that these gardens are more than just flowers. Most offer exhibits, events and workshops guaranteed to enrich the lives of budding horticulturists everywhere. So don't let winter keep you inside. Check out these gardens. You never know, maybe it will inspire us for spring! It's just around the corner!

 

Thanks,

 

The AA Tex Lawn Team